The Process of Breeding Dogs

So you’ve decided you are ready to be a dog owner, or maybe you already have a dog and are interested in another one. You may have found yourself wondering where to begin. Silver Nickel Puppies has broken down the process of breeding a dog into simple steps.

First Things First

Your first decision is what breed of dog you are interested in having. Let’s say you have a female French bulldog and want her to have babies. You would seek out a male French bulldog, often referred to as a “stud”. The most sought after dogs to breed with are AKC-registered, meaning they are purebred dog pedigrees. Many studs owners post their dog’s information on their social media pages which can be found with a simple search on the internet. These breeders will post when their dog is able to give a sperm sample. French bulldog’s hips are positioned in a manner which makes it difficult for anything besides artificial insemination. Therefore, you will need to obtain a sperm sample from the male dog and take your girl French bulldog to the vet where they will perform the AI. She may become pregnant after the first insemination, however sometimes a second visit is required. Following the procedure, your dog may be a little groggy for a couple days as it was an unusual experience for her.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Congratulations, you’ve confirmed with your vet that your dog is pregnant. A dog’s pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, which add up to around 60 days in total. While this seems short, there are a few changes that will occur in this time frame which you must be prepared for. The diet, sleep schedule, and attitude of your Frenchie may waver from their normal routine. You should switch their food to a brand that is dense in protein. This is so she can receive the nutrients and meat that she needs to sustain her growing body. You can go to any local pet store or a place where they have puppies for sale and ask for top food brands which they will know. Your Frenchie may sleep more or sleep less. For the beginning of their pregnancy she will probably sleep normal to more than her usual pattern. Towards the end she will find it harder to find a comfortable position with her babies in her womb, and she will need to pee more frequently which will disrupt her sleep. And lastly, if she senses she is pregnant, she may become more protective of herself and her surroundings.

Birth and beyond

French bulldogs again, are designed with narrow hips which make it almost impossible and highly dangerous to have natural births. Therefore, when scheduling the insemination your vet probably already made the caesarian section appointment. During the last two weeks of their last trimester, the doctor will examine her and decide when the puppies will be fit to come out. During the c-section, the Mama will be under anesthesia, and the doctor will remove each puppy one by one. A French bulldog who has been artificially inseminated has a chance of giving birth to anywhere from one to nine puppies. The average tends to be five or six. Upon being born, the newborn puppies will need to be on a heating pad for about a month and a half. They require heat to stay warm because the Mom won’t always be near them and their bodies are still too young to warm themselves. The mother will be groggy and disoriented after waking up from the anesthesia. Some French bull dogs instantly have the mother’s instinct, but some need time to adjust as they were sedated and then surrounded by little puppies. But over the first three to four days they will bond. The puppies will need to eat every three to four hours around the clock. For the first eight days they will not have their eyes open, so much attention will be needed to help them eat. They will begin to crawl and walk around the two-week mark, and when they are ten weeks old, they will be able to leave the mother. Typically, when their puppies reach two and a half months they are sold to their forever homes. Be sure to pick good owners for them as they are such loving creatures. And lastly, enjoy the puppy you keep!

Puppy Store Englewood, New Jersey

Silver Nickel Puppies is your go-to puppy store in Bergen County! Our beautiful puppies are available exclusively in Englewood, New Jersey. Give us a call at (201) 871-2040 or visit our contact page! Click here to see our currently available puppies.